The Broadway Channel
by CloudsWillDrift
Summary: Puck has almost forgotten about his ex girlfriend Rachel, until he hears her say something in an interview on TV.
1. Chapter 1

**Honestly, English weather is as bipolar as Diana Goodman!**

New York was his home. Not as in, he was destined to live and make it there like the kind of stuff Rachel used to come out with in one of her "I'm better than all of you" rants back in Glee, but it was where he belonged. He was born there, lived in the city 'til he was 12 before being cruelly moved to Lima when his dad got a job there. When his dad left, he was waiting for his mum to tell him and his little sister Monica that they were moving back but she never did (she ever said much at all after that). So he'd always vowed that after graduation he would move back. And he did. And that was it. He never made it big, he just worked 9-5 and played guitar for a few bucks here and there, so he was never really rolling in money but he got by okay.

Rachel was a different story altogether. She lived on the Upper East Side and was dating some guy who was the next Stephen Sondheim or something – Puck only knew this from , 'cause she was one of the biggest Broadway stars of their generation. That must have been why Puck hadn't seen her since graduation, 'cause she was always doing some theatre shit or being interviewed.

He did sometimes wonder if she would remember him, in the midst of her crazy life. They had dated for just over a year before graduation and she was the first girl he'd ever said "I love you" to. And meant it. And he hadn't betrayed her or anything, or fought with her, they'd only broken up because they agreed they were going in different directions. Which was okay, 'cause then they'd spent a freakin' amazing night in the sack.

Puck mentally shook himself as he stood in his Brooklyn apartment. He always got bummed out if he thought about her for too long. Which was not good. Sighing, he sank down on to the couch and started flicking through channels.

'Put the Broadway channel on!' his girlfriend Scarlett hurried into the room holding a bowl of cereal. She sat on the sofa next to him, swinging her legs up onto his lap. 'They're interviewing Rachel Berry tonight! God, I love her!'

Okay, so Puck had never told his Broadway-crazy girlfriend he used to date Rachel Berry (well, she'd never asked.) It had never been relevant, and he knew she'd go crazy, start comparing herself to Rachel and probably end up leaving him for a 70 year old. And Scarlett was cool, hot, she got him. She was no Rachel, but, y'know, who was?

'You know she single-handedly brought her high-school Glee club out of the shitter?' Scarlett nodded knowledgably. 'And she once did a Broadway show and a telecast simultaneously? Yeah. Ooh, shh, here she is!'

Puck repressed a sigh as Rachel appeared onscreen, looking as breathtaking as ever.

'_First love,_ now playing at the Eugene O'Neill theatre on Broadway explores the ins and outs of your first crush, and what it's like to meet for the first time, that special someone!' The narrator was saying. 'Rachel Berry, star of _First Love _sat down with the Broadway channel.' The screen cut to Rachel sitting opposite some blonde woman.

'So, Rachel,' the blonde woman started. '_First Love _is definitely a hit on Broadway; do you think that the universality of the story is what makes it so popular?'

'Oh, absolutely,' Rachel nodded. 'Everyone has experienced the feeling of a first love or indeed just a crush so it's easy for people to relate to, which I think in turn enhances the whole theatrical experience, you know, it pulls you in. And for those that haven't been in love yet, well, it could go a way in preparing for that emotional rollercoaster that comes when you do find that someone.'

'God, she's so amazing...' Scarlett breathed.

'Absolutely. So, what do you remember about _your_ first love?'

Noah's stomach flipped.

'Oh my, it was years ago! Well, it was the end of high school, the last year or so before graduation. And, well, it was one of the best times of my life, second only to my Broadway debut, of course. He was a reformed bad boy, in my Glee club but a footballer too, and he used to serenade me outside my window whenever he'd pick me up for our dates.' She laughed a little. 'We broke up so I could come here.' She added, looking a little sad. 'I think he stayed in our hometown, I'm not sure what's become of him now.'

The blonde presenter looked entranced. 'Wow... So, what would you say to him if you knew he was watching?'

'I'd say...' Rachel turned to the camera surreptitiously. 'I'll never forget you. And thanks for the best year of my life.'

'Thanks so much, Rachel. Now, Kate, I believe you're at the Booth Theatre?'

'That's right, Claire, and I have some very exciting news...'

Noah didn't realise his arm had tightened around Scarlett's waist until she spoke.

'Baby, are you okay?' she asked, putting a hand on his.

'Huh? Yeah, I'm fine.' He dropped his arm. 'I'm going to bed.' He got up, picking her up off his lap and putting her down on the sofa. He kissed her quickly. 'Night. Love you.'

'I love you too. I'll be in, in a minute, after they interview Steffi D.'

''Kay.' Mind swimming and heart heavy, he walked into the bedroom, trying and failing to push the interview from his mind.

**You know, it never occurred to me to make this into a multi-chapter thing until I actually wrote it. I had the idea in my head as a oneshot for like a week before...**

**As soon as I finish Remember Me, I'll see about extending it. Would y'all read it?**

**Reviews make my heart feel fuzzy.**

**Lots of lurve,**

**Jeanie**

**Xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Buggering heck!**

**I'm stunned at the response you guys, I had no idea that people would like it so much!**

**Thanks so much for reviews and stuff!**

'Could you sign my programme please?'

'Can I get a picture with you?'

'I've been waiting so long to meet you!'

Rachel grinned at her adoring fans as she came out the stage door of the theatre, instinctively taking the first pan jabbed in her direction and signing various programmes shoved at her.

'Did you guys enjoy the show?' she asked in her practised humble manner.

'Oh my gosh, yes!'

'It was amazing!'

'Will you marry me?'

'You were incredible!'

'Thanks so much,' she grinned at the crown, posing for a picture with a teenage girl.

'Hi...' another teen said shyly, handing Rachel her programme. 'You were amazing today. But, I saw you on the Broadway Channel the other day, and I was just wondering if all you said... was it true?'

'All what, honey?'

'About your first love...'

'Oh,' Rachel blushed. 'I'm a little embarrassed about that, actually. It is true, that's why I got so carried away...'

'No, I thought it was really nice,'

'Oh, well, thanks sweetie...' Rachel's sentence drifted off as she spotted something across the road. 'Sorry, guys!' she called out to the rest of the group huddled round her. 'I have to go!' she hurried off.

Her tan trench coat billowed behind her as she ran across the road towards the man she just saw. 'Noah?' she called, a little half heartedly at first. Her eyes scoured the close cut dark hair and the tanned, almost olive skin, growing wide. Was it him? It had to be him. What if he'd seen her on TV? What if he wanted to patch things up? Okay, he was walking away from the theatre, but maybe he got nervous! She was suddenly very thankful she was wearing flats as she was able to catch up with him. 'Noah!' she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, and his eyes lit up.

'Rachel Berry!'

Her face fell. 'Oh, sorry I thought you were...'

'You're on Broadway! Can I get a picture?'

'Um, sure...' She felt ridiculous. Of course it wasn't Noah. The chances of her seeing him were one in about seven million and even if it were him, what did she think she was going to say? Oh God, she wasn't still in love with her ex boyfriend of three years, was she?

It had been ages! She just wanted to see him; the whole First Love thing had nothing to do with it! And, anyway, she had a boyfriend! He was awesome, anyway. Maybe he lacked the raw passion Noah had held her with but, then, he was only human.

As the fan thanked her for the picture, she pressed a hand to her flushed cheek and slunk into the nearest Starbucks for some head-clearing.

**Noah and Scarlett's place**

'Noah!' Scarlett raced through the apartment to the bedroom, where Puck was getting changed after work. 'Noah, look!'

'What is it?' He couldn't help but smile at her childish grin as she pressed a piece of paper into his hands.

'It's a letter! From my parents! And since they knew it was our anniversary tomorrow they sent us tickets for _First Love! _How amazing is that?'

'Wow, that's great,' he tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, hugging her to hide the blush that now painted his cheeks.

'I know right? And then, Omigod! We have to stage door afterwards, we have to meet her!'

'Ah... yeah, totally.'

'I'm so excited!' she tackled him in a hug.

'Yeah, yeah... Me too...'

Well, fuck.

**I was blown away by the response last chapter guys, really. You know what would be awesome? If y'all reviewed again! Yeah!**

**Love you all!**

**Jeanie**

**Xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do love reviews, y'know =) If I could give all my reviewers a big cookie each, you know I would, but I don't want anyone to be caught taking candy from a stranger.**

**Scarlett's excitement at the beginning of this based on me after seeing Hair the musical for the first time (live in England? See it before it closes in September, I implore you.)**

'Oh my God, that was so... I don't know, that was just... stunning! And Rachel Berry was... Oh God, I could just drown in her voice; it's like chocolate!' Scarlett babbled as she and Noah exited the theatre. 'You know?'

'Yeah...' Puck smiled down at her. 'So, I thought we could head to Mercury for drinks, unless you wanted to get straight home?'

'That sounds great!' she absent-mindedly stroked his arm.

'Awesome,' he took her hand and started to lead her down the street, but she resisted. 'What's up?'

'We have to stage-door first!' she said as though it was obvious. 'I wanna meet Rachel Berry!'

'Oh. Oh, right,' Puck had tried his hardest to forget that the girl he was watching was Rachel, and it had actually worked okay, but face to face with her, well, he didn't know what he'd do. Fuck it, Scarlett was his girlfriend and she wanted to, he'd have to deal with it and just... keep his mouth shut. 'Fine, let's go.' Scarlett grinned and dragged him round to the side of the theatre, where a crowd of teenage girls had already assembled.

**Half an hour later**

'She'll be out any minute now,' a shivering Scarlett said excitedly as she huddled inside Puck's jacket. 'It'll be worth it. Thanks for waiting with me, baby.'

'It's fine. I can think of a couple ways you can make it up to me later.' He rested his chin on top of her head.

'You got that right,' she leaned up to kiss him, but cit it off when she heard the other fans start to scream. 'Ohmigosh, it's her! It's Rachel Berry!'

It took another ten minutes for Rachel to pass through the crowd and get to them, and when she did Puck could swear he heard his own heart beating in his ears.

'Hi Rachel!' Scarlett said excitedly, handing over her playbill and a sharpie. 'You were amazing tonight!'

'Oh, thank you so- - much, uh...' Rachel's eyes widened as she glanced up and her eyes locked with Puck's. 'D-did you... uh, did you enjoy the show?'

'Oh my gosh, so much! It was just... right, Noah?'

'Mm...' He handed Rachel his playbill, his face growing hot as he made sure his hand didn't touch Rachel's. 'It was good.'

'I'm glad...' Rachel could barely manage a smile as she signed inside the playbill.

'Could I get a picture with you?' Scarlett asked.

'Of course...' Rachel posed, forcing a smile as Puck took a picture, allowing her eyes to flicker to him for a fraction of a second, to see him staring pointedly down at the camera.

'Thanks so much!' Scarlett waved to her as she handed Puck his playbill and turned to the other fans, not without a last glance at Puck.

**In the bar**

'She's just so friendly! So nice, and down to earth, and so pretty! Right?'

'Mmm...' Puck took a gulp of his drink.

'I gotta visit the little girl's room, quickly, honey, will you look after my stuff?'

'Sure, beautiful.' She grinned at him and hurried off. Puck sighed and drained his drink, picking up his so far unopened playbill. He flipped absent-mindedly to the cast list, where Rachel had signed. His eyes were drawn to the few words under her signature.

_Call me,_

_555-0123_

**Oooh. **

**I went there.**

**Reviews make me happy! **

**Jeanie**

**Xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hands up who loves the Promises, Promises recording? Me =)**

**Oh, and we meet Lucas, Rachel's boyfriend in this chapter, just appearance wise, cause I can't describe people to save my life, I imagined him as a kind of Wesley Taylor look-a-like (google him!). And Scarlett, for future reference kind of looks like Kacie Sheik, from Hair (the blonde girl in my avatar).**

**Thanks for reviews etc.!**

_Don't do it._

_Just fucking do it._

_If you do it, you'll only end up being unfaithful to Scarlett._

_Says who? Maybe all she wants is an innocent drink._

_Yeah, 'cause that's so your style, "innocent drinks."_

_Look, we all know you're just gonna end up calling her so why not save some time and just do it now?_

Puck stood at the foot of the bed, glaring at the playbill that was sitting on his pillow. Why the fuck did she have to give him her number? If she just left it, then he wouldn't be so tempted...

Fuck it.

He walked over to the nightstand, snatched up his cell phone and punched in Rachel's number, one he'd memorised now due to prolonged staring at the autograph.

He heard the dial tone, once, twice, and then-

'Hello?'

He hung up, dropping the phone on the bed as if it were a cancerous can of worms. Turning away from it, he raked a hand through his hair, cursing himself for cracking and willing time to go faster so Scarlett would just get home from work and he could distract himself. That's when his phone started to ring, that stupid Defying Gravity song Scarlett had jokingly set as his ringtone but he'd never had the heart to change piercing through the uneasy silence.

Don't answer it.

Don't fucking answer it.

Don't you dare-

'Hello?'

Damn it. So close.

'Noah?'

'Hey,' he sighed.

'Hey.' There was an awkward moment.

'Why did you give me your number?' He asked quickly.

'Huh?'

'I was with a girl. My girlfriend. Why the fuck would you write your number down in my programme?'

'It was a snap decision; I-'

'Why did you think it was appropriate to-'

'Then why did you call me?'

'What?'

'You could have just thrown the programme away, forgotten about it, but you didn't. You called me.'

'Fucking hell, Rach, you know I wouldn't be able to forget about it.'

'Why's that?'

'Why the fuck do you think?'

'You have a girlfriend.'

'Well...'

'Noah, did it ever cross your mind that I gave you my number so we could catch up? And just that?' He didn't hear her breathing sharpen on the other end of the phone.

'Well, yeah, but...'

'I have a boyfriend, Noah, I'm very much in love with him.'

'I know.'

'Well then. Would you like to meet up for a drink this evening?'

Say no. Say no. Saynosaynosaynosaynosayno. 'Okay.' Well fucking done.

'There's a really cool bar on 9th Avenue, Mercury. Know it?'

'Yeah.'

'Eight 'o' clock?'

'Sounds good. See you.'

'Bye, Puck.' She hung up.

Puck looked down at the phone he still held. _What the fuck did you just do? _

Rachel sat down gently on the end of her bed. _You shouldn't have done that. Lucas has been an amazing boyfriend to you and you repay him by making plans with your ex who you may or may not be in love with? Still?_

_It's just drinks,_ another little voice in her head piped up. _Nothing will happen. You haven't seen him in years, you just wanna catch up, right?_

'Right.'

**A BIT LATER**

'Honey, I'm going out,' Rachel called as she walked into the living room in search of her right shoe.

'Where? I thought tonight we were gonna stay in and catch up on _House._' Lucas walked in from the kitchen, looking crestfallen.

'It was a last minute thing,' Rachel located the show. 'They're only in town tonight.'

'Okay... Who is it?'

'Someone I knew in high school... Kurt. Kurt Hummel.'

'A guy?' Lucas looked doubtful. 'He's not gonna try anything, is he?'

'Oh, I don't think his boyfriend would be too happy about that,' Rachel winked. She felt bad for lying but if he found out who Puck was he would never trust her. 'I'll be home before midnight.'

'Okay,' He walked over to her and held her waist. 'I love you,' he said tenderly, looking down into her eyes. 'So much.'

'I love you too,' she smiled, leaning up to kiss him. 'And I promise I'll make tonight up to you, one way or another.' He smiled at her.

'I'll see you later. Have fun with Kurt.' Her stomach dropped a little.

'I will. Bye.'

'Bye.'

Rachel suddenly felt dirty as she made her way down the hall to the elevator. Her boyfriend was amazing, and here she was, still not happy, going off to meet her ex.

_You're just friends! _She reminded herself. _He has a girlfriend! It's just a drink._

He was already at the bar when she arrived, sitting at a small table in the corner, texting.

'Hi,' she said, outwardly confident.

'Hey,' he smiled a little as she sat down.

'Sorry – I didn't realise I was late...'

'No, its fine, I was early.'

'Yeah...' An awkward silence.

'Uh,' he cleared his throat. 'I ordered you a Cosmo, I remember, you said you liked them, when we were dating.'

'That's perfect,' she smiled. See? Totally platonic. 'It's weird, huh? We broke up because we were going in different directions, and now here we are, in the same bar.' Shut up, Rachel, before you say something stupid. 'So, in theory, we could have continued dating all these years, if we knew we'd both end up here.'

'I guess you're right.'

'Not, uh, that it matters; I have a boyfriend, you have a girlfriend...'

'Yeah.'

'She seems lovely, by the way. I like her hair.'

'Yeah, Scarlett's awesome,' he smiled, draining his beer.

'So,' she cleared her throat. 'What do you do now?' she asked.

'I work for a talent agency,' he said. 'Just admin, but I don't have to wear a tie.'

'Oh, cool.'

**AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER**

'So, I was your interview on the Broadway Channel,' Puck smirked at her over the sea of empty glasses that had collected over the evening. He raised his eyebrows. Rachel blushed, pressing a hand to her forehead.

'Don't, please!' she said. 'I'm so embarrassed; I didn't realise what a blithering idiot I sounded until Lucas showed me the footage later.'

'Lucas is your boyfriend?'

'Uh-huh.'

'I bet he was happy.'

'He understood. I know I'm not his first love.'

'Even though you practically made out with the camera?'

'Even so.'

'Good man.'

'He is.' Somewhere in the distance a bell rang.

'Last orders!' someone called from the bar.

'Last orders? What time is it?'

'Ten minutes to midnight. Why, you on a curfew?'

'No, I told Lucas I'd be home by midnight.'

'Woah, long leash.'

'Shh, it just means he cares about me.'

'Not 'cause he knows you're out with me?'

'Actually, he doesn't know I'm out with you. He thinks I'm out with Kurt.'

'Oh really?' he raised an eyebrow.

'Shut up!'

'I'm kidding!'

'I should go; knowing my luck the subway will be held up.'

'Screw that, I'll get you a cab; I'm not letting you get the subway alone at night.'

'Aw.'

'What? It's not safe for a chick. I'll get you a cab.'

'What about you?'

'I only live round the corner.'

'Okay,' she stood up, a little wobbly on her feet.

'One last question,' Puck said, standing up. 'What you said on TV, that interview – When you were talking, what were you thinking? None of that Stephanie Meyer shit.'

'Honestly? I was thinking...' Don't say it, Rachel. 'What it would be like to kiss you again.' Damn that alcohol. 'One kiss.'

'One kiss?'

'One kiss.'

'Well...' It was either the drink or the pure blind love rushing back for Rachel but Puck suddenly didn't see anything wrong with kissing Rachel. He leaned over the table and pressed his lips to hers, firmly, for about ten seconds. And it was... like their first kiss all over again. But better. This time his stomach was flipping all over the place and he couldn't think straight. Somehow he forced himself to pull away, only for Rachel to stumble and fall forwards. He caught her by her forearms, holding her steady until she was standing up straight.

'I – I should go...' she said blushing.

'Yeah,' he led her out quickly.

**NOAH'S HOUSE**

'Hey, beautiful,' Puck said as he walked into his apartment. The whole walk home he's had an ominous sinking feeling in his stomach that told him he shouldn't have kissed Rachel. As soon as he looked at Scarlett, he was crippled by guilt.

'Hey!' she got off the couch and walked up to him, kissing him on the lips. 'Did you have a good time?'

'Yeah, it was awesome.' He said.

'Who were you with again?'

'Just the boys.'

'Oh, cool. I was gonna get to bed soon, are you staying up?'

'Ah, I'll come to bed,' he said. 'Long day.'

'Okay,' she smiled, turning away. He caught her shoulder, turning her back to face him.

'I love you,' he said, pulling her close to him. 'A lot.'

'I love you too,' she smiled up at him. 'Come on, you're tired. Come to bed.'

**RACHEL'S PLACE**

'Lucas? I'm home.' Rachel called out, closing the front door behind her.

'Hey, honey,' Lucas came in from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. 'Good night?'

'Yeah,' Rachel yawned widely, covering her mouth. 'It was really fun.'

'Cool. How's Kurt?'

'Kurt is good. Really good.' She nodded.

'Cool. Coming to bed?'

'Yeah.' She smiled at him, blushing at the look of sheer adoration on his face. And she suddenly felt sick.

**Yay for long updates!**

**Guess what? Last night I couldn't sleep so I planned out a whole new fic where Puck and Rachel don't sleep either – Puck shows Rachel the best night of her life in the Greatest City in the World! Basically they have an all-nighter in New York. It's really fun to write and I hope you guys consider reading it (it'll be up soon after this update).**

**Love you guys!**

**Jeanie**

**Xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**This story has 120 alerts. That's 120 authors who care whether or not I update. Wow.**

**I never realised how many 'til I looked at the list.**

**I'd love to thank all of you, but I can't be bothered, so here's a random selection:**

**Thank you Average Everyday Sane Psycho; thank you bodge; thank you twitch 1124; thank you yalebaby and thank you lyricalemme.**

**I love you guys.**

**Chapter 5!**

2 DAYS LATER

Saturday morning, Rachel awoke later, wrapped in the arms of a snoozing Lucas. She groggily leaned up and kissed whatever body part was closest; his shoulder.

'Wake up baby,' she murmured, moving his arm gently and sitting work. 'You've got a meeting in, like, an hour.'

'Mmm...' Lucas rolled over and swung his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing his eyes. 'What are you doing today?'

'Not a lot. They promised my understudy today's 2:30 show, so I've got a free day 'til 7:30. I might do some shopping, I don't know.'

'Well, my meeting's due to finish at one, maybe I could come home and we could think of something to do together...'

'Maybe,' she grinned at him as he picked up a towel and headed into the bathroom.

Yawning widely, Rachel made her way through to the kitchen, picking up the mail – a single white envelope – as she went. Switching the kettle on, she eyed the envelope curiously. It was addressed to her. She hopped up on the counter and opened it.

RACHEL, the typed script read.

I SAW YOU WITH NOAH IN THE BAR ON THURSDAY. KEEP YOUR MAN-EATING HANDS OFF OF MEN WHO AREN'T YOURS OR I WILL SELL THIS PICTURE TO THE PRESS AND YOUR CAREER WILL BE OVER.

And at the bottom of the page were two pictures – one of Rachel leaning in to Noah, the next of them kissing. An unpleasant blush crept over her skin. Someone saw her? Someone had a picture? And someone was bent on keeping her away from Puck. But who? And why?

The first image that popped into her head was Scarlett, Puck's girlfriend, but she adored Rachel, Puck had said so herself. _She probably wouldn't adore you if she caught you with her man,_ a little voice at the back of her mind mentioned. And she seemed quite sweet! Surely if she had seen Noah with her, she would have sat him down and spoken to him, and then he would have called her and told her that it was over. Right?

It must have been one of Scarlett's friends, trying not to hurt her feelings. Yeah. Or a deranged fan, like the one who sent her seven locks of hair in an envelope, along with a letter saying "Every time I see your show I cut some of my hair off. I do it for you."

But whoever it was, they knew too much, which meant that Rachel had to end everything with Noah. Even if it was one drunken kiss, she couldn't risk anything, and not seeing him was the safest thing to do.

**PUCK'S PLACE**

'Baby, have you seen my t-shirt? The red one, y'know with that pattern on the front.' Scarlett said from inside the closet, rustling around.

'Not recently,' Puck said lazily, not looking up from his magazine as he reclined on the bed. 'Is there anything on those shelves at the top, there?'

'I don't know...' Scarlett stretched up to get at said shelves, groping around to check. Her hand found just a book; a dusty one. 'It's not up there, but... Oh my gosh, Noah! What's your high school yearbook doing up here?'

'Huh?' he put the magazine down and joined her on the other side of their bedroom. 'Jeez.'

She giggled and flipped it open, to the picture of the football team. 'Ha! Look at you! Is that a mohawk?'

'They were cool back then!'

'Obviously,' she smiled at him, and went to sit on the bed. 'Are you in many of these pics? Chess club... AV... You were in Glee club?'

Puck's stomach flipped. 'Uh, yeah,' he said nervously.

'You all look so... colourful! And let me guess, that's that Finn guy you were talking about?'

'Uh-huh.' Puck gently tried to prise it out of her hands before she could scan the rest of the picture but it was too late.

'Wait... Is that Rachel Berry? In your Glee club?'

'Uh...'

'Yeah, it says here "Front Row: Rachel Berry" – oh my gosh! You must have murdered the other clubs!'

'Haha, yeah...' Puck cleared his throat. Scarlett grinned down at the picture for a few seconds but then her smile started to fade.

'Noah... You were on the football team.'

'... Yeah.'

'And you were in her Glee club.'

'Uh-huh...' Puck knew what was coming.

'You had a mohawk...' She took a deep breath in. 'Were you the guy she was talking about in her interview?'

'Well... yeah, it was.' He bit his lip.

'Oh... You two were really in love, huh?'

'It was years ago, baby, and it's over,' he choked a little on the last word.

'I know that. Of course.' She forced a laugh. 'It's kinda cool... My boyfriend was my idols first love!'

'You're cool with it?'

'Of course. And – and even if I wasn't, it's in the past. Nothing I can do about it now!' She dropped the book on the floor and kicked it under the bed. 'Come on, let's grab some lunch.'

**RACHEL'S PLACE**

'Honey, I'm home!' Lucas yelled as he got in, trying to juggle a bottle of champagne, a bouquet of flowers and a huge work folder into one hand so he could lock the door.

'Hi, sweetie – God, let me help you with that!' Rachel rushed over.

'No, its okay, I – I got it,' he dropped the work folder on the floor with a loud thump. He let out a breathy laugh. 'For you,' he said, kicking the folder out of the way and handing her the flowers and champagne.

'Oh my gosh, honey, they're gorgeous!' Rachel grinned, leaning in and smelling the flowers. 'What's the occasion?'

'Well...' He smiled shyly and knelt down in front of her.

'Oh my gosh...' Rachel muttered.

'Rachel... You've been a huge part of my life for two years now, and I truly believe that I wouldn't have achieved the gleaming career I have today if it weren't for you...' He went on, as Rachel tried to catch her breath.

She knew she shouldn't be thinking of Puck during this beautiful moment in her life but she couldn't get that kiss out of her head. Oh God, husbands and wives were meant to tell each other everything, weren't they? Did she have to 'fess up? Maybe it was only stuff they've done after their marriage that was important! Yeah, that'll work!

In fact, she now could just forget all about it. Having a husband was like having a permanent boyfriend and with one of those, who needed a hot ex-boyfriend? And Lucas loved her so much. And she loved him. In their two years of being together he'd had almost the same effect on her as Puck.

'... So Rachel Berry...' He said. 'Will you marry me?'

Rachel grinned, her cheeks flushing. 'Lucas, of course I will!'

**NOAH'S PLACE**

Man, Scarlett cooked like some freakin' kitchen angel but whenever she made him lunch she always expected him to clean up after her. He mentally grumbled to himself as he piled all the dishes into the sink and gathered up some trash. Opening the small bin in the corner of the kitchen, he started to throw some trash in but stopped as he spotted something in there. He deposited the rest of the trash on the kitchen counter and knelt in to look at what turned out to be Scarlett's signed _First Love_ Playbill and her poster of Rachel.

She said she didn't have a problem with it.

**Tut tut.**

**I love Puck/Rachel interactions as much as you guys so next chapter will definitely be made up of that very same stuff.**

**I do love you all.**

**Jeanie**

**X**


	6. Chapter 6

**Argh. I'm all depressed.**

**I'll just have to escape into Glee land to mess with the lives of our favourite characters.**

**Thanks for reviews and stuff.**

**And with the subway, I'm just going by what the London underground is like... ew =)**

**Btw I don't own Glee. Just in case you got confused...**

'He arrived home with champagne and flowers, and he got down on one knee and made this speech...' Rachel spoke excitedly into her cell phone as she gathered her purse and keys into her bag. 'I know, it was so romantic!'

It was Sunday afternoon and Rachel was getting ready to go shopping while Lucas was at a meeting. He had apologised profusely for having to miss their afternoon off, so she had decided to go shopping and pick them up something special for that night – although the influx of congratulatory calls and the obligation to tell the story to everyone who called had put her back an hour.

'I'm really sorry, Phoebe, I've gotta go. Tell Monica I say hi!' She smiled and hung up, wrenching open the door. Upon exiting, however, she nearly walked into someone kneeling at her letterbox.

Holding a plain white envelope.

'Oh! I'm sorry – Wait – What's that?' Rachel pointed at the envelope in the teenage boy's hand.

'I – It's nothing, really, uh... never mind!' He shoved the letter in his pocket and started backing away, a panicked look on his face.

'No – seriously, what are you holding? Show me!' Rachel started chasing after him, all the way down the street until he darted across the road and she was cut off by a long line of coaches. She swore internally as they disappeared and the boy was nowhere to be found.

**TEN MINUTES LATER**

If there was one thing Rachel hated about New York it was the subway. It was cramped and dirty and the wrong sorts of people congregated on the platform as well as those with body odour that found it acceptable to pretty much force their armpit into her face while straphanging next to her. This was why she took a taxi as often as she could and was always put out when that turned out not to be possible, like this afternoon when she had called three taxi ranks that had all been booked out by Lady Gaga to transport her crockery to her new apartment.

So she found herself, at 4pm that Sunday, standing in a crowded carriage between an overweight middle-aged man chewing noisily on a taco and skinny teen typing on a graphing calculator, laughing breathily out loud every so often. She glanced with subtle disdain at the other passengers. Two Mexican women gossiping excitedly, an OAP whispering sweet nothings down the phone, and... Puck. Staring straight at her. Crap.

As he noticed that she saw him he glanced down, then back up again, then at the map on the wall. Rachel shifted uncomfortably on her feet, feeling her face grow hot as she tried to stop looking at him. She glanced back once to see him staring decidedly at the train's ceiling, though he must have felt her eyes on him for he glanced at her again, causing her to look down at the floor. Puck was suddenly very glad his stop had come.

He got up immediately, swiftly moving out of the carriage and making sure he didn't brush past Rachel.

_You need to settle things with him, _She thought. _Don't leave it open ended, just finish it._

Although it was a few stops before hers, Rachel marched off the train, closely following him to the entrance, where she tapped him on the shoulder.

'Noah?' He turned around.

'Shit.'

'I need to talk to you.'

'I don't know –'

'Please!'

'Fine. There's a coffee house round the corner.'

**CENTRAL PERK (a/n: Because that's just how inventive I am.)**

'So, uh,' Puck cleared his throat as the two of them sat down at the table. 'How's it going?'

'It's going well,' Rachel nodded. 'Noah, I need to tell you something,' She raked her hand through her hair. 'I think-'

'What's that?' Puck interrupted, pointing at her hand. Rachel blushed, looking down at the shining diamond on her finger.

'Yesterday, Lucas asked me to marry him,' She smiled. Puck deflated a little.

'Congratulations,' he said.

'Thanks.' Rachel picked up her drink. 'So, how's Scarlett?'

Puck forced a laugh and put down his cup of steaming black coffee. 'She, uh – She found out I was the guy you were talking about in your interview.' He grimaced.

'She took it well, I gather?'

'She seemed okay about it,' he said, though his mind flicked back to the image of the playbill in the trash. 'But... well, she's not exactly your biggest fan right now.'

'Figures.' Rachel forced a smile and sipped her coffee.

'She'd probably freak if she knew I was here with you...'

'Well she doesn't need to... Not like she has anything to be scared of, ha ha...' She and Puck shared an awkward laugh that ended abruptly as their eyes locked across the table. They held eye contact for a few moments, growing breathless with anticipation.

'Scarlett's staying at her parents' tonight,' Puck blurted out.

'Good, let's go.'

**Ooh, that's naughty.**

**I love reviews almost as much as I love Puck.**

**Jeanie**

**X**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all feedback for last chapter!**

**Today sucks. Waiting for GCSE results. Bleh.**

**I do love you all.**

**But I still don't own Glee.**

Rachel awoke suddenly the next morning entangled in unfamiliar sheets, yet with a very familiar arm wrapped round her waist. It took a moment for her to remember the events of the night before, however when she did, her heart sank.

She had sex with Noah. She _had sex_ with Noah. Not Lucas. Noah

She was jolted out of her stupor when she heard her phone vibrate in her bag by the door. Hurrying over and flipping it open she gasped as she saw 26 missed calls from Lucas. Without thinking, she tapped the "call" button.

'Lucas?' she said timidly when he picked up.

'Rachel! Baby, where are you? I've got half the city looking for you... Are you okay?'

'I'm – I'm fine. Um, yesterday, I was shopping for you and me, and I bumped into – into Kurt! And he uh... he was in a really bad way, his boyfriend had left him for an underwear model,' she babbled, 'so he was really really cut up, I had to stay with him last night to make sure he didn't do anything stupid,' she ran out of breath.

'Honey, why didn't you call? I was worried sick.' He sounded so honest, Rachel nearly broke down.

'I'm so sorry, baby,' she said, not noticing Puck waking up on the other side of the room. 'I was just – preoccupied, y'know?'

'I guess. Do you need me to pick you up?'

'No! No, I, uh – just called a cab. I'll be home in like half an hour.'

'Okay then. I'll see you then.' He sounded crestfallen, still.

'Bye. I love you.'

'Bye.' He hung up. Rachel started down at the phone, tears forming in her eyes. Last night had felt amazing but she wasn't sure it was worth the crippling guilt she felt now. She turned back to the bed, hoping to retrieve her clothes before Noah woke u- Oh. She stared at him for a moment. He looked just as queasy as her.

'We did a horrible thing last night,' she said. 'We did a _terrible, terrible_ thing –'

'I know!' he cut her off. 'I feel just as fucking guilty as you, Rachel.'

'Why did we do it? Why did we even go there?'

'Why the fuck would I know? There were 2 of us in that bed last night, Rachel, not just me.'

'I know! And you weren't my fiancé, and I'm not your girlfriend so we both did a _very bad thing!'_

'I feel sick.' He grunted. 'I fucking love her...' He groaned and lay back, pulling the cover over his head.

'Of course you-' she was cut off by the front door slamming.

'Baby?' Scarlett's voice rang out.

'She's home early.' Puck said suddenly. Rachel swore uncharacteristically, under her breath.

'Typical.'

'Hide!'

'Where?'

'Noah?' Scarlett called, her voice startlingly close.

'In here, babe!' Puck motioned aggressively for Rachel to get under the bed. Feeling dirtier than ever, Rachel crawled under, just as Scarlett opened the door.

'Hey, sweetie!' she said, coming in and kissing him. She sat next to him on the bed. 'You okay?'

'Yeah, it's all good. How are your folks?' Puck tried to calm his heart rate.

'They're awesome, everything's fine up there. So how come you're not at work yet?'

'I don't have to be in 'til 12 today.'

'Okay... Want some coffee?'

'Coffee sounds great. I'll be in in a minute.' He kissed her and watched after her as she left. He opened his mouth to say something to Rachel but stopped himself as Scarlett came back in.

'One more thing – Uh, Michele called me this morning... She said when she nipped into Central Perk to use their bathroom she saw you... with Rachel Berry...' She giggled a little, though her face remained still. 'Is that true?'

'Ah, yeah – that – I just, y'know, saw her in there, and I was just mentioning how much you loved her, and her show...' Puck swallowed.

'I don't love her.' Scarlett said quickly. 'Not anymore.'

**Aaaahhh, went shopping today and they had the American Idiot Broadway Cast recording in the pitiful two rows of CD's that my local HMV calls their "Films/Shows section." Almost started crying right there in the shop (not just cause it was £18 which would send a teenager who relies on allowance right into bankruptcy.) Must. Admire. From. Afar...**

**And then it rained on the walk home. My hair looks like a giant red tumbleweed. Lol.**

**Reviews make me smile!**

**Love love love**

**Jeanie**

**Xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**My PC is broken. This sucks. And this laptop doesn't have Word so I'm writing this on suckish notebook. I'm that dedicated.**  
**For those who care; I passed my GCSEs! I did 4, a year early (I'm going into Year 11) and I got 2 Bs, a C and an A! Woopah!**

As soon as Rachel got into her home, she collapsed on the sofa, her heart rate having sped up a ridiculous amount as she tried to make her way home before Lucas could find out anything.  
'Rach? Is that you?' Lucas appeared in the doorway, not yet dressed.  
'Yeah,' Rachel bit her lip, looking up at him. 'I'm so sorry, Lucas.'  
He scratched the back of his head. 'I was really worried about you.' He said finally.  
'I know. It won't happen again, I promise.'  
'Is Kurt okay?'  
'Yeah. He's fine.'  
'Good.' He walked over and kissed the top of her head. 'Do you want some breakfast?'  
'Please. I'm just gonna go shower.'  
'Okay - Oh, by the way, this came for you.' He handed her an envelope. Rachel's stomach flipped. It looked the same as the one before.  
'Thanks...' She waited until he was in the kitchen to open it.

RACHEL - STRIKE TWO. ONE MORE AND I'M GOING TO THE PRESS.

And there was a picture at the bottom of the page, of her and Noah at the coffee house, locked in conversation. Just like the first one, you couldn't see Noah's face, but still they looked very intimate.  
Clapping a hand to her mouth, Rachel screwed up the paper, shoved it into her pocket and ran into the bathroom.

**ONE SHOWER LATER**

'Rach, I left you some breakfast in the- Oh God, are you okay?' Lucas looked up from his newspaper and his eyes widened as he caught sight of her walking in wearing just a towel, her skin pale and her body shaky.  
'Huh? Yeah, I just - I feel a little faint...' She said. He walked up to her and cupped her face.  
'You look really pale,' He said. 'Are you sick?'  
'I don't know,' she closed her eyes as his cool fingers pressed against her forehead.  
'Look, get to bed. I'll give the theatre a call and tell them you won't be in later.'  
'Are you sure?'  
'I'm sure. I don't have any meetings today so I can stay with you.'  
'I'd like that.' He kissed her forehead and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. 'Okay. Get some sleep.' She nodded and went into the bedroom. Lucas pulled out his cell phone. 'Hey, man. I can't make today's meeting. Rachel's sick, I gotta make sure she's okay. Yeah, sometime next week, for sure. Thanks, man. See you.' He dropped his phone on the table and went into the kitchen to get Rachel a hot drink.

In their bedroom Rachel sat down on the bed, huddling up in one of Lucas' jumpers. She had never felt so guilty in her life. A cold sweat tickled her forehead and her stomach felt like it had been left in the elevator. She loved Lucas with all her heart but when she was with Noah she felt like she could feel the same way about him. Like she had in high school. Even if it was meant to be over.  
'Here you go,' Lucas entered the room and set a steaming cup on the nightstand. 'Do you know what might be wrong?' He lay back on the bed and pulled her into him, stroking her hair gently.  
'I - I haven't been sleeping too well,' she said truthfully, leaning her head on his chest. 'That's probably something.'  
'Okay. Let me know if you need anything.'

**THAT AFTERNOON, PUCK'S PLACE**

'That was amazing, baby,' Scarlett smiled, leaning in to kiss him. 'It's like you're trying to wear me out!'  
He laughed a little, pulling her body to his. 'Don't act like you're not ready for round two.'  
'Oh, I think I can handle that,' she ran a hand down his bare chest. 'Wait a couple of minutes, then join me in the shower.' He smirked and watched her sashay into the bathroom.  
Removing the boxers that were looped round his ankle, he grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand to check it. One text. Rachel. Crap.  
_I need closure, it read. Outside my building tonight. 8._  
Closure?  
When Rachel had left that morning Puck had felt ridiculously guilty, spending most of the morning in heavy silence. At least, until Scarlett had pretty much jumped his bones at lunch. Then he hadn't had much chance to think at all.  
That said, before the text he hadn't thought about what would happen next with Rachel. They had kissed, they had slept together; What now? He couldn't bring himself to call it an affair, affairs were what forty year old women had with milkmen (and pool cleaners), and anyway he had made a promise to himself to be faithful to Scarlett, always. Maybe closure was exactly what they needed.  
Okay, he knew how slimy it was to text Rachel when he was about to fuck his girlfriend senseless but, he still tapped out a reply.  
'Baby?' Scarlett's voice floated in over the sound of running water. He dropped his phone on the bed and all but ran into the bathroom.

**Saucy.**  
**I've written quite a lot of the story now, I'm at the tying-up-all-the-loose-ends part. But I finished my notebook today, which sucks major ass, so I've gotta wait and get a new one. Sniff.**  
**And then there's school Thursday.**  
**And then Hair, Saturday. Oh God, Hair the musical is closing, what am I going to do? I never expected to get so attatched to a musical, it's like Spring Awakening all over again.**  
**I love reviews!**  
**Jeanie Xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all feedback! As a writer I do thrive on it.**  
**As the Hair final show looms closer I would just like to say I do love all you readers. Like yeah. Not like I love my family etc. but there is some love there!**  
**And by the way, "Matt" in this chapter is based on Matt Doyle, appearance and all.**

**8 'o' Clock**

Puck waited outside Rachel's building for ten minutes that evening, not needing an alibi as Scarlett was out with friends that night, and trying deperately not to look like a drug dealer as he leaned up against the wall, subtly looked around for Rachel.  
'Noah!' The whisper came from the alley beside the building. Puck turned to see Rachel standing there in her trench coat, wearing sunglasses.

'What's with the disguise?' He asked coolly as he walked up to her, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.  
'I can't be seen,' she said. 'Noah, someone knows. About us. I've been getting threatening mail for the past week, someone saying that they'll go to the press with this story.' She took the latest letter out of her pocket and handed it to him.  
'What the fuck?' He almost shouted, causing Rachel to look around worriedly. 'Who the fuck sent this?'  
'I don't know.'  
'Fucking hell.'  
'You can only see me in this photo...' She pointed out. 'These are enough to end my career, which means that this - whatever has gone on between us, has to end. For good. For the sake of my career, my marriage and my relationship with Scarlett.' Puck nodded.  
'You're right.'  
'So this is it. We can't see each other, call each other, contact each other in any way. I know our history will always work against us, as these past few days have certainly show so it would appear that quitting each other cold turkey is the only option.'  
'I agree...' he said, not sure if he should add something. 'So, this is goodbye.'  
'It is.' Rachel rocked on her feet a little, then sighed as Puck planted a kiss on her forehead. 'Bye.'  
'See you- Uh, bye...' Puck nodded morosely and walked away, his face growing hot. Rachel waited a few minutes before walking round to the entrance and going into the building.  
The lobby was empty as she walked in apart from one figure leaning against the wall and texting. Rachel could swear she recognised him from somewhere...  
Her eyes widened as she recognised the teenage boy from the other day.  
'You!' she exclaimed, pointing at him. He looked up, stricken.  
'Huh?'  
'You - You were outside my apartment, with the letter - What the Hell was in that letter? Tell me now, or so help me, I will - ' She stopped talking as he took off running up the stairs. Groaning annoyedly she sprinted after him, thankful for her years of fitness training, she managed to catch up with, and then tackle, him on the third floor. She sat upon his knees, rendering him immobile.  
'What were you posting into my apartment?' she asked him heatedly.  
'I uh, I-' he stammered, turning red.  
'Is this it?' She grabbed a letter that was sticking out of the kids jacket pocket, nodding when she saw her name scrawled on the front.  
'No, please, I-' She ignored his pleas and tore it open, finding instead of the typed font she was used to, pages and pages of handwritten script.  
_Rachel Berry, Night after night I lie in my bed dreaming of what life would be like if we were to finally be together. Living in the same building as you has made my days so much more heavenly, but I have yet to find the courage to utter more than a single written word to you-_  
'Is this what you were gonna post the other day?' she asked, her voice softening considerably. He nodded.  
'Uh-huh. I was gonna - but I got scared, and then I didn't want you to see.' He blushed. 'I'm sorry.' She shook her head.  
'No - I'm sorry,' she got up off him and offered him a hand to get up. 'I thought- Never mind. What's your name?'  
'Matt.'  
'You're a sweet kid, Matt.' She smiled at him, nodding once before heading over to the elevator. She paused before pressing the up button. 'Matt... Don't lie to me - How often would you say you're outside my place?'  
'Uh... 3 or 4 times per day. Why?'  
'Do you ever see anyone outside, like, posting something in? Just a plain white envelope? Saturday morning and Monday morning?'  
'I don't know about Saturday but on Monday morning I saw this lady putting something in your door. She looked kinda angry.'  
'That would be her. What does she look like?'  
'It's hard to say, the halls weren't lit yet... I'm sorry, is it important?'  
'Kinda. Listen, could you maybe keep an eye out, for me?'  
'Sure.'

**Guess who sucks at ending chapters?**  
**Reviews are awesome, usually.**  
**Peace and joy be with you!**

**Jeanie Xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank God for Oreos and a cup of tea, for calming my nerves.**  
**I go back to school tomorrow, year friggin' 11, which is why I'm cramming in updates now to make up for them slowing down due to coursework/revision and shit.**  
**Thanks for all reviews and feedback!**

'Thats an awesome idea! And I was thinking of, kind of, lilac centrepieces, for the tables?' Rachel said, taking a sip of wine.  
'Definitely.' Lucas tightened his hold round her waist as they cuddled on the sofa. 'We still need to set a date, though.' He brushed a lock of hair out of her face.  
'I've always wanted a spring wedding...' Rachel admitted coyly. 'Like, April or early May...'  
'What about the 16th? A few weeks after your run ends.'  
Since her meeting with Noah the night before, Rachel had felt much more at ease with Lucas, who still knew nothing of it. The way she saw it, it was just an event in the past that she never needed to dig up again. Which is why she totally didn't blush when she realised that April 16th was the date on which Puck had first said 'I love you,' all those years ago. 'April 16th...' she said. 'I like it.'  
'You do?' 'I love it. I love you,' she leaned up and kissed him. 'I can't wait to marry you.'  
'I feel the same.' He smiled. 'More wine?'  
'I'd love some.' She handed him her empty glass and sat up so he could go into the kitchen. Contented smile on her face, she stretched her arms out behind her and rubbed a knot out of the base of her neck. As she turned her head she caught sight of something lying by the front door. Another plain white envelope.  
_That's not fair,_ she panicked internally. _It's over between us. They said, end it. I ended it; They can't... Everything's right again... Okay, just forget about it, Rachel. Don't let it spoil your evening._  
She lasted five seconds before leaping off the couch and grabbing the letter.

YOU'VE DONE IT THIS TIME. GET READY TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.  
And there was a picture of her and Noah in the alleyway.  
Her face burned. This wasn't fair. She had ended everything and even though she knew she should get punished she was so angry that the person had that control over her and was this bent on ruining her. And without her knowing who this was that was blackmailing her she couldn't do any damage control. She would have to face the fire.

**Short chapter, but next chapter I promise the shit is gonna hit the fan and it will be a lot more interesting to read!**  
**Love love love**

**Jeanie **

**Xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**We'll be get-get-getting along!**  
**I do LOVE A Very Potter Sequel!**

After a night spent tossing and turning, Rachel awoke at 10am. For a moment she didn't know anything except for the pillow and the empty space next to where she was sleeping but then, the memories of the note from the night before flooded back and she felt like crawling down into the bedsheets and dying. Anxiously toying with a lock of hair, sh padded silently into the living room where her breath caught in her throat as she saw Lucas sitting at the dining table, head in his hands, newspaper crumpled on the floor next to him.  
Oh God. Amidst all the fear and confusion over the outing of her betrayal she hadn't thought through what would happen with Lucas.  
You should have just told him.  
She slowly diverted her path into the kitchen, where she made a cup of coffee, for each of them. Her hands were shaking as she set one down on the table next to him.  
'Rachel,' his voice cracked as he spoke. 'Tell me it's not true.' Her eyes were drawn to the newspaper, open in the middle with a title of **'Broadway's Berry an unfaithful fiance!'** She silently bent to pick it up and read it.  
_"Having announced their engagement less than a week ago, this newspaper would expect to see Broadway actress Rachel Berry and ladies' favourite producer Lucas Beineke snuggling on park benches and frolicking through flowers, not being rocked by a relationship crisis. However it would seem that this is indeed the case as we have a source telling us that Berry, 24, has been hooking up with a tall, dark and handsome stranger."_  
A lump caught in her throat as she skimmed the rest of the article.  
_"Our ever-informed source also tells us she spotted Berry and her man stumbling into his apartment - not drunk on alcohol it would seem, but lust."_  
'Lucas, I...' She didn't know what to say.  
'Rachel, please. Is this something someone saw and just blew out of proportion? Or is it... is it true?'  
'It- It was just... An old friend,' she said. 'I bumped into him - a - and...'

'You kissed him.'  
'Once.'  
'Once?'  
'Only once.'  
'There are two pictures here.'  
'Twice. That's it, I swear it.'  
'Did you sleep with him?'  
'Don't, Lucas, don't -'  
'Did you?'  
'You know I can't lie to you -'  
'Did you?'  
'Yes!' Rachel collapsed into a dining room chair. 'Once.'  
'Oh my God - Oh my God, when you said you were with Kurt!' Lucas pressed a hand to his forehead. 'I don't believe it.'  
'Lucas, you have to hear me out! I hadn't seen him in so long and all these emotions kept running back-'  
'Wait...' Lucas looked at her. 'It's the guy... The one you were talking about on the Broadway channel? Him?' Rachel nodded guiltily.  
'Lucas, you know what it's like, to have a first love...'  
'Rachel, you're not my first love, but you've definitely been the strongest.'  
'Lucas -'  
'I'm sorry, Rach. I can't talk to you right now.' He stalked into the bedroom. Rachel wiped her eyes furiously with the back of her hand as the house phone started ringing. She cleared her throat and picked it up.  
'Hello?'  
'Rachel...'  
'Noah? How _dare_ you call me?'  
'I saw the paper - I - I just wanted to - '  
'Wanted to what, Noah? Make me feel even worse about myself than I do now?'  
'Look, I-'  
'The paper doesn't identify you, Noah. You have nothing to worry about.'  
'That's not why I'm calling!'  
'Noah, you're the last person I want to talk to right now.'  
'The fuck? You started this all!'  
'I know I did! And I wish I hadn't!' She hung up, only for the phone to ring again as she stepped away. She picked it up.  
'Noah, stop -'  
'Rachel! It's Allison!'  
'Oh.' Rachel didn't know whether to be relieved or not that her Stage Manager had called. 'Hi, Allison.'  
'Rachel, I have the Times in front of me. Care to explain?'  
'Oh my God...' Rachel groaned. She walked into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bath. 'I bumped into an old friend, and - things happened, I-'  
'Rachel, you have seriously jeapordised your future in this show, you do realise this?' Rachel sighed. 'Yes...'  
'We need you to make a statement this afternoon. I want you outside the theatre at 12.'  
'I don't know -'  
'Rachel, if you want a future on Broadway, you seriously need to show up today.'  
'Fine. Okay. I'll be there.'  
'I expect nothing less.' Allison hung up. Rachel heaved a sigh as she dropped the phone, remembering the little debate she'd had with herself before writing her number in Noah's playbill. If only the devil on her shoulder hadn't won. She'd be happy, have a definite career, she'd be planning a wedding, still... Now, nothing was certain.

**Oh lord, I'm leaving for Hair in a couple of hours. I don't want it to end. I wish this show would never close! **

**Reviews are awesome!**  
**Love love love **

**Jeanie Xx**


	12. Chapter 12

**Apparently 1 in 12 Americans don't know that bird is, in fact the word.**  
**Thanks for all reviews and stuff!**

Puck looked down at the phone in his hand just after Rachel hung up. He threw it from one hand to the other a few times before sighing and dialling the number of the paper.  
'Hello, the Times?' The person on the other end answered.  
'Hey,' He cleared his throat. 'You know you ran that story on Rachel Berry today?'  
'Yes?'  
'Uh... I'm him. I'm the guy she... was with.'  
'Oh! Oh, our team has been trying to track you down all morning! Let me pass you over to our leader.' There was some rustling on the other end.  
'Hello?' A new voice said.  
'Hey-'  
'You're quite an elusive beast, young man! Now, we at the times would like to offer you a deal: $150,000 for a photoshoot and a tell-all interview about your night with Berry. What do you say?'  
'No! Look, I just want to make a statement in your paper, clear up some of the shit you wrote.'  
'Certainly, sir. And your name is?'  
'...Just Puck.'  
'Puck. Just email something in to the paper and we'll run it tomorrow.'  
''Kay.' He ended the call. At least he could sort of help this situation. He went to get his laptop.

**12 NOON**

'Noah, baby, are you okay? You look kinda pale...' Scarlett rose from the couch and hurried over to him, putting a hand on his cheek.  
'Mmm... Yeah, I didn't sleep too well last night,' He lied. Honestly, the situation with Rachel had him worried beyond belief - the external signs were obviously showing.

'Oh... Well this'll cheer you up; come on. That skank Rachel Berry was caught in the sack with someone who isn't her guy, now she's gotta apologise to everyone so her show isn't hurt.'  
'"Skank" is a little harsh,' Puck muttered as Scarlett pulled him on to the couch.  
'She deserves it,' Scarlett put her feet up on his lap.  
'Well, she is kinda an old friend, babe...'  
'I'm sorry, baby, I just have a changed opinion of her.' She turned up the TV.  
'Ladies and gentlemen of the press,' a redheaded woman was saying as she stood up on a makeshift podium outside the theatre. 'I'm sure you have all heard of the trouble that our leading ladiy has found herself in. You should know that she regrets it deeply, but rather than you hear it from me, I have her here to make a statement.'  
There was silence as Rachel took to the podium. 'Good afternoon. First of all, I want to say that I truly regret what happened - it was simply one - well, two moments of weakness and before I bumped into an old friend I would never even think of being unfaithful to Lucas.' Se took a deep breath in. 'A while back I was interviewed on the Broadway Channel, where I described the man who was my first love. This was the man who I had relations with last week. When you bump into your first love so many emotions come flying back that it can be quite overwhelming and some of your judgement can be clouded, as was the case with me. But... I think my mistake just goes to show that your first love never truly leaves you. I have gone through the same thing as my character in First Love, just at a later age, and well, handled horriby. It just shows how universal the story is, theat there will always be people making bad judgements because oflove. I hope that this story doesn't change your opinion of me or the show and I hope that it has come through how sorry I am, to everyone involved.'

**AT THE CONFERENCE **

Rachel bowed her head as a growing scatter of applause sounded throughout the crowd of journalists in front of her. She stepped off the stage and turned to Allison.  
'Was that okay?'  
'Rachel, I think that was the best way you could have handled the worst mistake of your life.' Rachel nodded slowly. A journalist suddenly ran up to her.  
'Rachel! Does this mean that the whole affair was a publicity stunt for the show?'  
'I - no! Um...' Rachel gasped as she spotted Lucas walking away from the crowd, sunglasses on and head bowed. 'I have to go-' She hurried off in his direction, walking quickly for about 30 seconds before catching up to him.  
'Lucas?' He turned around, face stony.  
'What?' His gentle voice had a sharp edge.  
'I - I explained. I'm sorry - I...'  
'Rachel, lets just talk at home. I'm not having this out on the street.'  
The walk back to the apartment was the most excruciating fifteen minutes of Rachel's life. Lucas didn't look at her once and he kept his hands deep in his coat pockets. When they got to their apartment he opened the door and marched in, dropping his coat on the couch and sitting down heavily. Rachel followed him in sheepishly, closing the door behind her. She walked over and stood behind the couch.

'Okay,' Lucas said quietly. 'Explain.'  
'I - It was true, what I said at the press conference. You heard.'  
'What, your fucking endorsement?'  
'That's not what it was!' Rachel was taken aback by Lucas' uncharacteristic swearing.  
'Rachel... I've been trying to forgive you. I've been trying to justify in my mind, what you did. But I can't.' He sighed heavily. 'I don't think you know how humiliated and betrayed I feel. With you, I thought we were in it forever, but obviously it wasn't equal, because - believe me, I would never _dream _of being unfaithful to you. But now - this - I don't think I can be with you, playing this guessing game of who is more into this.'  
'Lucas...' Rachel's voice trembled. 'Everybody makes mistakes-'  
'Not mistakes this big. Look, I think I need to mull things over. I'm gonna stay at my sister's place for a few days.' He got up and turned to her, not making eye contact. 'I'm sorry it had to end like this, Rachel.'

**NOAH'S PLACE**

'Noah, just tell me the truth! She had sex with the guy who was her first love, and as far as I know, that asshole is you!' Scarlett stood over him.  
'I...' Noah ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't lie. 'I slept with her. Once.'  
'When?' She demanded.  
'A few days ago.'  
'Saturday?'  
'Sunday. Sunday night.'  
'Sunday ni... Oh my _God_, how much sex did we have on Monday? How could you bring yourself to sleep with me the day after?'  
Puck didn't bother mentioning that if he refused her sex she'd know even faster that something was up. 'Scar... I feel ridiculously guilty about this, but - don't you remember when you were first in love?'  
'Yeah, he was a dick! If I saw him now, I'd slap him, not fuck him!' 'Well maybe that's the difference between us two. I'm sorry, Scarlett, I love you so much but I loved Rachel just as much. And when those feelings come back... it's fucking insane.'  
'Noah, I thought we had something special here, but... If it gets interrupted by the first appearance of your ex girlfriend then I don't know how much longer I can dig it.'

**Hey, as I type this, year 11 is beating me about the head with a science textbook so I hope you understand the wait.**  
**Hair was absolutely phenomenal. **

**School is friggin' ridiculous.**  
**Big Brother is still terrible.**  
**So we're caught up, how are you?**

**Reviews are lovely!**  
**Jeanie Xx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Finally! I have Microsoft Word back! So long to silly formatting and questionable paragraph spacing!**

**And, and, and, I'm currently listening to the 2002 Hairspray recording, with our favourite Spanish teacher playing Link! I love it, especially as he's sporting a rather... funky, hairdo =D**

**Thanks for all feedback!**

**RACHEL'S PLACE**

Waking up with a big empty space next to her for the second morning in a row left Rachel feeling even hollower than the night before, so she felt upset enough when she wandered into the living room. This was not helped, however, by her eyes landing on the Times newspaper kindly Mrs. Wilson from down the hall had pushed under her door. Rachel knew she shouldn't, but-

She ran over and snatched it up, flipping through until she saw her face.

BERRY APOLOGISES FOR AFFAIR, MOTIVE REVEALED

Motive? There was no motive! Oh, God, she suddenly found herself wishing she hadn't decided to relate her situation to her show. Before she could read the article, however, her eyes were drawn to a red box in the corner.

"_And, we spoke to the man!" _boasted the sub-heading. _"The man Rachel had her hot affair with, only wishing to be identified as "Puck" has come forward, not accepting our offer of a deal, but instead opting to send us an email about the sexy situation. Here are a few choice quotes:_

"_I only had sex with Rachel Berry for kicks..."_

"_As easy as you'd think..."_

"_A stupid, pointless affair..."_

"_Too stupid to think twice..."_

_Meow! Email your thoughts on this story to our news editor."_

Rachel's cheeks flared. Is that all Noah thought? When they'd been talking, he had always wanted in her pants? As if things weren't difficult enough.

She dropped the newspaper and went to get changed. She had to have this out with him.

**A BIT LATER**

Shoving her keys and her cell phone in her bag, Rachel wrenched the door open and stormed out, bumping straight into Matt.

'Rachel! Thank God, I caught you. Is this a bad time?'

'Um, a little. I'm on my way to go castrate someone.'

Matt winced. 'Ouch. I was just gonna say, I got a picture of this woman who's been putting stuff in your apartment, you know, the one?'

'Are you serious? Can I see?'

'Sure, take it.' He dug a picture out of his messenger bag and handed it to Rachel. Se inspected it. It just looked like any old woman. 'How did you get this?'

'I just saw her and took it.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. I mean, she kinda chased after me and called me a pervert, but y'know.'

She hugged him quickly. 'It means a lot, Matt, really. But I've gotta go – I'll talk to you later!'

'See you.'

**Inbetweeners tonight, anyone? Channel 4, 10pm. I'll be there.**

**Reviews are lovely, especially compared to the shit day I've had!**

**And guess what. There's about two, three chapters left.**

**I think two. And one is an epilogue sort of thing.**

**Much love,**

**Jeanie**

**Xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Question: Do you want a sequel? I've planned a storyline, but if you think it would be better left alone, holler in your review. I don't wanna be like the producers of Camp Rock, y'know, putting out a sequel that nobody wants...**

**Final real chapter! There's an epilogue set six months later too, but this is almost it.**

**Lovelovelove**

'My mom is gonna be here any minute to pick me up,' Scarlett said, dropping her overnight bag on the couch.

'Okay.' Puck didn't fight back.

'I think we should meet up in a few days. Talk things over.'

'Yeah.'

'Aren't you going to say anything?'

'I... I don't know what to say.'

'_You _don't know what to say? You betrayed me! I told all my friends that you and I were in this for life.'

'Well, don't tell them, then.'

'Oh, you'd love that!'

'Look, this hurts me just as much as it hurts you.'

'Are you kidding?'

'No! I know I slept with someone else but you don't know how cut up I was afterwards. You know how much I love you.'

'Well I'm glad you were able to take your dick out of your ex-girlfriend long enough to tell me that.' There was a knock on the door. Puck, being closest, answered it. A fifty-something year old woman burst in.

'You bastard!' She turned to Puck first, slapping him hard across the face before dramatically throwing her handbag to the side, not flinching as it's contents spilled out on to the floor, and rushing over to her daughter. 'Honey, honey, honey, its okay, mommy's here!' She pulled her into a hug.

'Hi mom,' Scarlett hugged back. 'Listen, can we just go quickly, I don't want you arrested for beheading Noah.'

'He'd deserve it.' She sniffed, then pointed to the contents of her bag. 'Pick those up, heathen.' She snapped at Puck, who threw up his hands in surrender and bent to pick them up, throwing them carelessly into her red leather bag.

Lipstick... Mirror... Diary... Letter addressed to Rachel? The fuck?

He paused, examining the envelope for a second. Why the Hell would Scarlett's mom e writing to Rachel? Unless...

Crouching behind the couch, he tore open the envelope to see a letter that looked identical to the one Rachel had shown him.

I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY WITH YOUR COMEUPPANCE, LITTLE GIRL. I ALWAYS STICK TO MY WORD.

'Hurry up, you; I want to get out of this God-awful apartment!' Scarlett's mom spat. She peered down at him. 'What are you...? Put that down!' She darted round and tore the letter out of his hands.

'You've been sending threatening mail to Rachel?' He said furiously. 'What the Hell, Diane?'

'What do you mean, threatening mail?' Scarlett asked quietly. 'Mom?'

'Of course I did! You were cheating on my baby with her!'

'How old are you?' Puck asked incredulously. 'Fifteen?'

'Mom... Mom, why didn't you just tell me?'

'Because you were happy with him, baby. I thought I'd give him a couple of chances, which he then used up. I think what I did was perfectly justified.' Puck shook his head, facepalming.

'You could have ruined her!'

'You're sticking up for her?'

'You took pictures of us!'

'So I did a little stalking. Everybody does it, darling.'

'Fucking Hell...'

'Mom, can we just leave? Please?' Scarlett picked up her bag.

'If you insist, honey.' Diane took her daughters arm. 'Good riddance to bad rubbish.'

'Bye, Noah.' Scarlett nodded once. 'I'll call you in a couple of days.'

'Oka-'

'No, you won't, young lady!' Diane wrenched open the door to reveal Rachel, who was clearly about to knock.

'Oh!' She said surprisedly.

'You!' Diane looked shocked. 'How dare you show your face around here?' She dropped her bag and leapt at Rachel, managing only to tear at her scarf before Scarlett pulled her back.

'Mom, it's not worth the jail sentence.' She glared at Rachel. 'I hope you're happy,' she said quietly. 'Your life may be back on track but I have a wasted year behind me because of you.'

'Scarlett, I never meant to hurt anyone-'

'But you did! Enjoy living with the guilt.' Scarlett walked away. 'Come on, mom.'

Rachel welled up, before looking at Diane. 'Wait...' She dug the photograph Matt had given her out of her pocket. 'You... You're the one who's been sending the mail!'

'Yes, sweetheart, we've covered that.' Diane glared at her. She looked Rachel's stiff form up and down. 'You had better hope I don't run into you in the street. I've done time before, you know!'

Rachel backed up into the wall. 'Ma'am, I think we're even.'

'Mom, come on!' Scarlett called from down the hall. 'I don't want to stick around here.'

With one last glare at Rachel, Diane started to follow her daughter.

'You should have let me take a sock at her! I could have messed up that pretty face for good...' Her voice faded as they made their way down the corridor.

Rachel silently walked the last few steps into the apartment, where Puck was lying back on the couch, arm slung over his eyes. She had forgotten momentarily why she was there, thanks to the conflict in the hallway, but as she remembered, her rage returned.

'Noah!' She jolted Puck out of his daze.

'Jeez, what?' He barked at her, glaring.

'What is this? This email, you so _helpfully_ sent into the Times? I put my career in jeopardy because of a night in the sack with you and this is what you go and do?'

'What the fuck are you talking about? I know what the email said.'

'Oh, really? Have you _seen_ today's paper?'

'No.'

'Take a look.' She threw the newspaper into his arms. He scanned the page, his brow furrowing.

'Those bastards...' He muttered. His face softened. 'Rachel, I didn't write that.'

'I really hope this isn't the polite version!'

'No! Look, let me show you the email.' As his computer loaded, he asked Rachel a hesitant question. 'So... your fiancé. How did he take it?'

'How do you think? I don't think he can ever forgive me. He loved me so much...' Her cheeks grew hot. 'What did Scarlett do?'

'She, uh, hit the roof. She quietened down, after she handed my balls to me on a plate, but, yeah, she went crazy. She said she'd call me, but I don't think her mom is gonna let that happen.

'Oh yeah... I had the pleasure of meeting her mom. I guess now she can't send any more letters.'

'Yeah... Rachel, I am sorry. For everything. All this crap. It's not fair.'

'No, please, it was me as much as you. I – I shouldn't have written that, in your Playbill. I just – wanted to see you.'

'Yeah...' The browser popped up and Puck quickly logged into his email. 'Read that.'

_To New York Times guy,_

_I know that you think I only had sex with Rachel for kicks, but I can tell you that when you have had, in the past, feelings for someone that strong, they don't go away as easy as you'd think. Truth is, I have never stopped loving Rachel, there was always this feeling in the back of my mind telling me to look her up or something but now that it has happened, I know what damage it can do. I betrayed my girlfriend being with Rachel, and nothing is worth that, unless it's really special, like what I had with her. I just wanted to clear up that what has happened was not just a stupid, pointless affair, but just a reunion of two crazy kids that got too caught up and were too stupid to think twice about it._

'Oh, Noah...' Rachel gulped. 'I'm sorry. I never should have trusted the newspaper over you.'

'Do you want some coffee?'

'I'd love some.'

**That's it. I know you might have been expecting a big reunion, tongues and all, but I didn't feel it was right.**

**So, epilogue, then that's it!**

**Love you all.**

**And reviews. I love reviews.**

**Jeanie**

**Xx**

**P.S: Sequel or no? If I do, it'll be called "Boo from Monsters Inc." Just fyi =)**


	15. Chapter 15

**The end *gasp!***

**And the sequel is all planned; I even bought a special notebook in which to write it!**

**Thanks so much for reviews and such, and enjoy this last breath of The Broadway Channel!**

**THREE MONTHS LATER**

Rachel hadn't realised before, but she loved not being in the papers. In the aftermath of her affair with Puck she had been in the Times at least four times a week, be it to criticise her fashion sense, compare her to another celebrity "love rat" or get some doctor in to analyse how her behaviour was a classic cry for attention (it wasn't.) Either way, it was never fun (she didn't really know why she kept reading it). However, consistently during the past fortnight, there had been no mention of her, or her "troubles with commitment." Finally, her mistake was old news!

So when she had gone shopping that day for a treat to congratulate herself on finishing her run in _First Love_, she had only been stopped twice. The first time was on purpose, when a couple of sweet teenage girls had asked for a photo. And the second – well...

She was in a department store, looking for a new makeup bag, when a huge crowd of screaming teenagers had scrambled past, knocking someone into her from behind, causing her to drop the product she was holding.

'Shit, sorry,' he muttered, bending down and retrieving it for her.

Rachel had sworn off men after what had happened, and her relationship with Lucas had fallen apart after a few strained meetings (with his mother present, which had not helped matters), so she certainly was not about to go checking out strangers in store. But it had been a while since a man had shown an ounce of chivalry towards her, so she let herself giggle a little. The trilby hat the guy was wearing obscured her view as he bent down, but if his face was as nice as his voice...

'Fucking teens...' He drifted off as he stood up and handed her the bag, and his eyes met hers. 'H-Hey,' he said softly.

'Hey, stranger,' she blushed, biting her lip as Puck held her glance. 'How are you?'

'I'm... yeah. Cool, fine.' He cleared his throat. 'You?'

'I'm good.' She nodded. They stood still for a moment, both knowing what the other was thinking, but neither willing to say it. It had been three months since the day they had last seen each other, when they had lost their respective other halves and had just sat in each other's arms in silence, all night, watching their coffees go cold in front of them. After that, Rachel would be lying if she said she never thought about him, but still somehow she'd kept herself from contacting him.

'Let's do this right,' he said finally. 'Turn around.' She did so. He tapped her on the shoulder. 'Excuse me?' She turned back, confused, to see him smiling at her, holding his hat against his chest. 'I'm Noah. I'm 24. I'm very single. Recently I made a mistake with a girl that led to heartbreak in all kinds of ways but now after sorting my head out I've realised that what I really want...' he nodded towards her. 'Is right in front of me.' Rachel smiled, blushing.

'Hi. I'm Rachel. I'm 23, and I'm definitely single. The aftershocks of _my_ mistake are all gone now, and I think I might be ready to take on a new relationship one step at a time. As long as,' she took a deep breath in. 'As long as you're stepping with me.'

'Rachel, would you like to go for a drink with me later?'

'Noah, that sounds perfect.'

**Shit, predictable ending.**

**But there's a sequel so it doesn't matter!**

**The sequel, "Boo from Monsters Inc." Will deal with repercussions from both their old relationships, and growing closer to each other. And I'll see if I can write Scarlett's mum in, since she seemed to be a readers' favourite!**

**Lovelovelove**

**Jeanie**

**Xx**


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